Geographical Collections. 16^ 



New Nautical Almanac — It is well known to most of our readers that, 

 for many years past, numerous complaints have repeatedly been made against 

 the state of the Nautical Almanac, as not keeping pace with the progress 

 of astronomy and navigation; and the pages of our journal have from time 

 to time contained many remonstrances and comments on this subject, from 

 various individuals. An attempt, indeed, was made about seven years ago 

 to redress the evil, and a committee of the Royal Society was appointed to 

 consider " whether any, and what additions, ought to be made to the Nautical 

 Almanac." The result, however, was not attended with any advantage to 

 science, as the only resolution which they came to was the following, viz. 

 " that it would highly conduce to the interests of practical astronomy, if 

 tables of precession, aberration, solar nutation, and proper motion of 60 

 principal stars were formed/or every day, in the period of four years, including 

 leap year ,- and that a separate table be given for every degree of the moon's 

 node." And in consequence of this resolution, a folio volume of tables for 

 that purpose was computed and printed at a great expense, which has been 

 complained of as a manifest waste of public money : since no observatory, 

 except that of Greenwich, would, in the present state of science , ever think 

 of resorting to so cumbrous a mode of assistance, amidst the numerous 

 helps that are afforded by more accurate and elegant tables. 



Seeing, therefore, no chance of improvement from this quarter, it was 

 proposed to bring the subject before Parliament ; and various papers were 

 moved for and printed by the House of Commons, with this view ; but, 

 from an assurance that Government was about to take up the subject, the 

 matter was then dropped. During the last summer, however, the Board of 

 Admiralty, (with whom the management of the Nautical Almanac now 

 rests, by virtue of a recent act of Parliament,) sent an official communica- 

 tion to the Astronomical Society of London, requesting their opinion and 

 advice as to the alterations and additions that it would be proper to make in 

 that national work ; and it is to the result of the Society's labours that we 

 now wish to draw the attention of our readers. 



The Council commenced their operations by nominating a committee, 

 consisting of forty members, comprising not only some of the most profound 

 mathematicians, but also most of the experienced practical astronomers and 

 nautical men of science in the country, as well as the professors from the 

 naval establishments at Greenwich and Portsmouth. This Committee, 

 having met, proceeded to examine and discuss seriatim the various parts into 

 which the Nautical Almanac is divided ; and having agreed on certain preli- 

 minary arrangements, appointed a sub-committee to examine them more in 

 detail, as well as to examine and digest the various hints and suggestions which 

 had been forwarded to them, not only by members of their own body, who 

 were unable to attend the meetings, but likewise by other correspondents, 

 relative to this subject. The sub-committee having made a report of their 

 labours, it was ordered to be printed ; and a copy of the same, (together 

 with a specimen of the printed pages of the new almanac,) having been 

 forwarded to each member of the committte, a distant day was appointed for 

 taking it into consideration ; by which means every opportunity and facility 

 have been afforded for the most ample and open discussion of the several 

 points in question. The final result of their deliberations is contained in a 

 Report, which has been forwarded to the Admiralty ; and we have the 

 satisfaction of stating, that nearly the last act of the late board was the 

 approval of that Report, and the issuing of an order for its being carried 

 into immediate execution. 



We have been favoured with a sight of that Report (which will form a 

 portion of the ensuing volume of the Memoirs of the Astronomical Society,) 

 and we here present our readers with the following summary of the principal 

 alterations and additions : — 



The use of apparent time is abolished in all the computations ; and mean 

 time alone adopted. 



